


you chase the darkness away (and you put a light in my chest)

by karenninaaa



Series: IronDad Bingo [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Gen, Iron Dad & Spider-Son, Iron Dad Bingo, Post-Spider-Man: Far From Home, Tony Stark Has A Heart, anywayy, because i don't think we'll get it in canon, i just like some peter and morgan time okay, i've been living in a different universe, tony stark is a retired dad, tony stark is alive after endgame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:08:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23650597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karenninaaa/pseuds/karenninaaa
Summary: Peter was on the verge of losing his mind over his secret superhero identity reveal. Morgan brought him a book.Iron Dad Bingo: Cuddles
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: IronDad Bingo [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1329648
Comments: 9
Kudos: 88





	you chase the darkness away (and you put a light in my chest)

**Author's Note:**

> another one that i dusted off and pulled out from the depths of wips and forgotten ones.
> 
> enjoy!
> 
> unbeta-ed chapter

Mr. Stark had said that he should get some sleep. But Peter had figured out a little bit later as he lay on the bed in the Stark cabin that his body was too keyed up to fall asleep. His hands had twitched every time he would try to lie still. He had tossed and turned around trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in. Soon, Peter gave up on the concept of sleep and how it was not something he would probably be able to do that night. He bolted up from his bed as he exhaled frustratingly. He peeled off the duvet covering his lower body. He sighed again. He hunched forward, bowing his head. He carded his hair with his hand. His breath got ragged every passing second.

_Everyone knew I am Spider-Man. . . Shit. Shit. Shit. What am I going to do?_

He shut his eyes tightly willing the thoughts to go away. It wasn't helping with the anxiety and paranoia bubbling up in the center of his chest. Mr. Stark had said that they would fix it and there was nothing to worry about. But it wasn't right. His mind protested. It was his problem that he should be fixing himself instead of dragging Mr. Stark into it. He had retired for gosh sake. He should be living peacefully here in his cabin with his family and not give him something to worry about. Saving the universe had been enough to fill up a lifetime quota of being in the superhero business.

Peter's heart became erratic as his breath became even more shallow. His head turned at the window. A stream of moonlight seeped through it giving the darkened room a luminescent glow. For one second, as Peter's shoulders rose and fell from his uneven breathing, he thought of running away, away from everyone he cared about. To put them away from harm's way and every negative effect of people knowing that he was Spider-Man. His aunt would be safer here than being with him.

And then the door suddenly creaked open. Peter almost jumped up to the ceiling. He stared wide-eyed at the door moving then a small head popped in.

Peter blinked relaxing a bit at the sight of Morgan on the door.

"Oh good, you're still awake." Morgan's voice was in a hushed whisper as if afraid of waking up everybody in the house if her voice raised any higher. She stepped inside and closed the door softly. She sauntered towards him hugging a picture book and holding a flashlight. 

Peter stilled in his position as Morgan put down her things on the bed and climbed up on the bed with a little difficulty. That's when he moved and helped her up on the bed.

"Why are you still up?" Peter asked.

"Sshhh." Morgan put her tiny index finger on her lips. She sat comfortably on the bed with her legs folded underneath her. "Lower your voice, Mom and Dad might hear us, especially dad. I have my suspicion that Dad has super hearing and he's just hiding it from us."

"Oh?" Peter's eyebrow rose.

Morgan nodded conspiringly. She spoke in the same low tone and leaned forward to Peter. "Dad knows when I'm still not yet asleep at night and reading my book." She patted her book on the bed. "I was probably reading it too loudly and he heard me."

"Then he'll probably come here soon." Peter guessed.

"Nuh-uhh." She shook her head and whispered. "Not if we talk like this and hide under the blanket with a flashlight on." She held her flashlight under her chin and turned it on, giving her face a yellowish glow. "I think we're safe enough." She waved the flashlight while making funny faces.

Peter giggled at that.

"Sshh." Morgan shushed him. "I can't sleep either and I want someone to read to me, but Mom and Dad are already asleep. I don't want to bother them."

"I can read it for you if you like." He offered.

That's how they found themselves underneath the covers with a flashlight and an open book on the bed. They lay on their stomachs as he held the flashlight over the book and read in a low voice as Morgan had told him to. The book was about a doctor who can speak to animals.

"That's interesting," Peter whispered, flipping the next page.

"I know!" Morgan whispered back excitedly. She beamed at him as her light brown eyes gleamed from the little light coming from the flashlight. Then she paused. "Since you're Spider-man, can't you talk to spiders?"

"No, I can't." Peter sighed tiredly. It was a question bound to be asked when people had learned that he was Spider-Man.

"Aww." Morgan momentarily looked dejected that Peter felt bad about it. But then, she asked him to resume reading so he did.

They reached the part where the protagonist was about to go on a voyage to cure and save the dying animals.

"Should I go on a voyage too?" Peter muttered absentmindedly and flipped again the next page

"Where are you going?" Morgan interrupted his reading. Her brows pulled together.

"Somewhere far away." 

"You can't leave!" Morgan gasped. Horrified at the idea of Peter leaving.

Peter opened his mouth to calm her down when another voice interrupted him.

"Why are you still awake?"

Peter and Morgan froze as they stared at each other. They knew that voice very well. After a beat, they emerged from underneath the blankets and sat up.

Tony was standing by the bed with his hand on his hip. Peter and Morgan smiled sheepishly at him.

Tony looked expectantly at them. His eyebrow raised.

"I told you dad has super-hearing. He can even hear us in his sleep." Morgan muttered as she leaned sideways to Peter.

Peter wanted to say that it was probably because of some traitorous artificial intelligence who had ratted them out and not because of some enhanced senses. But who was he to shatter the kid's fantasy of his dad looking cooler in her eyes? So he kept his mouth shut.

"So no one's gonna tell me why you're still up at midnight?"

"I can't sleep," Morgan answered honestly. "And Peter's going away." She pointed at Peter.

Peter's mouth hung open at Morgan. "What happened to the siblings’ pact we've done to keep things between us?"

Morgan huffed. "This is an exception, I don't want you to go away!"

"Hold on, hold on." Tony signaled for a time out. "Peter's what?"

"He's leaving us!" Morgan said. "Daddy, quick! Do the _thing_ when someone tries to run out of the house."

"W-Wha-" Peter looked back and forth between Morgan and Tony. "W-what thing?"

He had gotten his answer when in a flash Tony moved. He jumped onto the bed and managed to wiggle his way behind Peter and sat with his legs on Peter’s both sides. Tony's arms wrapped around him. His bionic arm glinted in the moonlight.

Peter tried to squirm and wiggle his arms out of Tony's hug. "Mr. Stark!"

"No. No one leaves the house." Tony said. He was smiling. Peter could tell without even looking up at him.

"Yeah!" Morgan squealed and tackled Peter in a hug. "You can't go. You can't leave me!" Morgan looked up at him with puppy dog eyes. Her arms wrapped around his torso. She was sprawled on the bed on her stomach.

"How can I possibly leave like this?" Peter gave up on squirming his way out.

Tony stilled behind him. "You were not serious about that, were you?"

"Uhhh,"

"Peter. How can you think of that? Where are you going?" Tony asked. His arms around him loosened.

"I don't want you to worry about me about this whole revelation of my identity thing," Peter mumbled, staring down at Morgan's crown. Her cheek pressed on his stomach.

"Of course, we'd worry about you! You're a family!"

"But you are retired and you shouldn't be dealing with superhero business anymore!"

"Yes, I am retired," Tony answered patiently. "But it doesn't mean I would stop caring about you."

"But it's still felt like I am bothering you or something."

"Kid, I've sacrificed my one arm off and risked my life just to get you back and you're calling yourself a bother?"

That's when Peter started to smile and relaxed in his mentor's embrace. Peter leaned back against his chest.

"So, stop thinking of running away or something, you're gonna give me and your aunt a heart attack."

Peter hummed. 

"Answer me, Pete."

Peter could feel Tony's eyes on him.

"Yes. I am not going anywhere." Peter answered. In his heart, he knew that he was telling him the truth. He continued. "I just thought that it was a problem I have to solve on my own."

"But it doesn't mean that you have to do this alone," Tony answered softly.

Peter could only hum. Strangely, the anxiety in his chest was replaced by a warmth spreading throughout his body. It was comforting. His head that buzzed with a lot of uncertainties started to clear off.

"Y-yeah okay, you can let me go now," Peter said.

"Not a chance," Tony said, tightening his embrace around his chest. He glanced over Peter's shoulder. "Besides, I think little miss is already asleep, you don't want to wake her up or else she'll hulk out like her dear old' uncle Bruce."

True enough, Morgan's grip around him had slackened. She wasn't chiming in their conversation anymore.

"So how did you learn this trick?" Peter tried to gesture with the whole despite his arms being locked in Tony's embrace.

Tony laughed softly. "Morgan was always running away when I tried to feed her. My only way so she wouldn't get past the dining table."

Peter chuckled.

"You should sleep too," Tony said after a moment.

And so Peter did. This time, he was quite certain that he would fall asleep. It was cozy. The arms around him were so reassuring that it melted his worries away.

There was a hum. Peter vaguely remembered as his eyes drooped. It was Tony's voice. He recognized. He was humming a tune. He tried to recall the familiar tune. His eyes were finally closed when he smiled in satisfaction at finally remembering what it was.

_Itsy-bitsy spider_

_Climbed up the water spout_

_Down came the rain_

_And washed the spider out_

_Out came the sun_

_And dried up all the rain_

_And the itsy-bitsy spider_

_Climbed up the spout again_

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!
> 
> [My tumblr](https://karenninaaa.tumblr.com/) if you wanna talk to me or yell at my stupor state.  
> [Buy me a coffee?](https://ko-fi.com/karenninaaa) if you're feeling generous and I would be forever thankful for it.


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